Malcolm Brogdon had a solid start to his career in Milwaukee, including winning Rookie of the Year for the Bucks in 2017. He has been a solid contributor to multiple teams over the years and has now signed with the New York Knicks. He joins a Knicks team that steadily increased its cache of quality players and hopes to dominate the Eastern Conference.
Malcolm Brogdon could have helped the Bucks
Brogdon has spent the last two seasons on tanking teams (Portland and Washington) but is still a capable point guard. He’s just three years removed from winning Sixth Man of the Year for the Celtics and still has the shooting touch that once propelled him to a 50/40/90 season with the Bucks.
Despite playing with ill-fitting rosters the last two seasons, Brogdon averaged about five assists per game in those campaigns in just about 25 minutes per game. He’s always been a low-turnover player as well, so his playmaking comes without excessive risks. On the Bucks, he may have even gotten a starting spot at point guard or at the very least a backup with ample playing time.
The biggest concern about Brogdon may be his recent health. He played just 39 and 24 games in the last two seasons, respectively, which is far from ideal for a playoff team. Still, these absences may have been exacerbated by the tanking nature of his teams, and he might not have missed as many games playing for a team like the Milwaukee Bucks.
With his depth of experience and calm demeanor, Brogdon would have been an ideal mentor for Bucks youngsters Ryan Rollins and Kevin Porter Jr. Brogdon has never been the most talented player in the league, but he’s stuck around for nearly a decade with professionalism and skilled play. That’s exactly the type of player you want to have in the locker room.
Instead, Brogdon heads to a Knicks team that has been aggressive in improving its depth after a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals last season. Despite their playoff success, the Knicks were known for not trusting many players beyond the starting lineup. They have now remedied that fault this offseason with the additions of Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele.
The Knicks' offense is extremely reliant on All-NBA point guard Jalen Brunson, and often struggles when he goes to the bench. They have another All-NBA talent in Karl-Anthony Towns, but he’s not able to create his own shot and lift the team offense the way Brunson is.
Adding Brogdon for backcourt depth gives the Knicks another reliable option to keep the offense flowing even when Brunson is off the court. He’s more than capable of getting KAT, or any other teammate, the ball where he needs it and remaining a scoring threat if left open.
Unfortunately, the Bucks missed out on the opportunity to bring back an old friend who could have fit their depth chart perfectly. They may come to regret it as he joins a conference foe, but it looks like they trust their current cache of guards.